Military record is no magic bullet

4:13 PM,
May 14, 2014

Dana Milbank

Written by

Dana Milbank
Columnist

Sen. Mark Pryor, the embattled Democratic incumbent in Arkansas, made a serious gaffe in March when he questioned Republican opponent Tom Cotton's reliance on military service as a campaign theme.

While praising the congressman for serving, Pryor told a TV interviewer that he didn't consider Cotton's military record in Iraq and Afghanistan a special credential. "I think that's part of that sense of entitlement that he gives off," Pryor said. "Almost like, 'I served my country, let me into the Senate.'"

For Cotton, who turned 37 on Tuesday, it was a gimme: He filmed a playful ad with his Army ...